Akihito Visit Stirring Bitterness Among Chinese

By SHERYL WuDUNN,

Published: October 23, 1992

BEIJING, Oct. 22—
The visit of Emperor Akihito of Japan beginning on Friday is meant to symbolize friendship between China and Japan, but already it is stirring bitter memories of Japanese war atrocities as well as a measure of resentment against the Chinese Government itself.

As the visit approaches, some Chinese are saying that their leaders are so eager for international recognition that they are neglecting to demand apologies and compensation from Tokyo. In a country where nationalism has long been a potent force, there are few worse things that can be said about a government than that it does not stand up to Japan. Trade Is Growing

Balancing these feelings, China is becoming increasingly aware of its need for Japanese friendship right now. The Government is concerned about its prospects for international support, particularly if President Bush, who has encouraged cooperation with China, loses the election in November.

If Gov. Bill Clinton wins, then the Chinese believe American policy will be tougher toward China.

"Western countries are more hostile to China, so the Government is anxious to be friendly with Japan," said a Chinese intellectual. "It wants to suppress any demonstrations out of strategic considerations."

Another reason why the Chinese Government is unwilling to press Tokyo too hard is that Japanese trade and investment with China are growing steadily. Unlike the United States and some other countries, Japan has not sought to punish China for alleged human rights violations by withdrawing from economic cooperation.

In the first six months of this year, moreover, Japanese companies signed agreements to invest $830 million in China, twice as much as in the same period of last year. And in July, when negotiations over the Emperor's visit were still occurring, Japan announced it would go ahead with $1.1 billion in loans as part of a $6.7 billion package.

Nevertheless, mixed feelings toward Japan among the Chinese people are clear. Without any support from the Chinese leadership, a growing number of Chinese have taken it upon themselves to demand apologies and compensation for the suffering inflicted by Japanese soldiers when they occupied parts of China in the 1930's and 1940's.

Emotions about Japan run deep, and they are partly fanned by press reports, films and television programs that play up Japanese aggression during the war. The "Rape of Nanjing," in which Chinese say more than 300,000 people were killed, has become a symbol of suffering in the years between 1931 and 1945, and many Chinese hold Emperor Hirohito, Akihito's father, partly responsible.

China estimates that about 21 million of its citizens were killed or wounded in the war.

When the Beijing Review sponsored an opinion poll that discovered that 80 percent to 90 percent of respondents believed that the Emperor should visit China but should also apologize and offer compensation, China's top propaganda group banned publication of the figures.

To avoid any incidents during the Emperor's visit, the Government has also reportedly issued a circular banning any protests or demands for Japanese apologies or compensation.

Reports say that the police detained the leader of an anti-Japan group in the city of Shijiazhuang, while putting his followers under house arrest, to prevent outbursts.